Introduction

For 40 years conservation areas have been quietly helping to preserve the special character of places – not only at the heart of our historic cities and market towns but in the suburbs, former industrial quarters and rural villages that give this country its glorious distinctiveness.

Since being introduced by the 1967 Civic Amenities Act some 9,300 Conservation Areas have been designated across England meaning that we all live in or near to one or visit one regularly for work, shopping or relaxation. They are the element of England’s heritage that is all around us and which touches all our lives.

So, what condition are they in? To answer this, English Heritage asked every local authority in the country to fill out a census form for each of its Conservation Areas. Heroically, the majority of Conservation Officers rose to the challenge, despite the fact that some had more than 100 Conservation Areas to report on. The results of this first ever national survey of Conservation Areas at Risk are published in our Heritage at Risk register 2009 and have been used to inform the campaign of which this website forms a part.